LORAI - Local Observatory on Reform Agendas Implementation in the Western Balkans

The Local Observatory on Reform Agendas Implementation (LORAI) is a joint European Union–Council of Europe programme that aims to enhance the role and capacities of local authorities in the Western Balkans in implementing and monitoring the Reform Agendas under the EU’s Reform and Growth Facility, a key element in the region’s path towards EU accession.

Objectives

Strengthen the monitoring process of Reform Agenda implementation, by enabling meaningful and effective participation of local authorities in the reform process.
Increase engagement and advocacy capacity of local authorities by empowering them to actively influence the design, implementation, and monitoring of reforms, and propose policy and investment priorities for the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

Context

The success of the Reform Agendas requires institutions at every level to effectively implement and monitor them; however, recent assessments reveal that local authorities are only limitedly involved in these processes.

To address this gap and to strengthen reform effectiveness, foster public trust and accountability, the programme will:

establish an open-access dashboard that presents the impact of reform implementation at the local level,
reinforce principles of inclusive multilevel governance and dialogue-building among all levels of government and
advance regional peer learning and knowledge sharing.

Programme Delivery

A joint EU-Council of Europe programme, LORAI will be implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in partnership with the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS), the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), and Local Government Associations (LGAs) in each Beneficiary.

Programme activities will include development of a dashboard, focus group meetings, a regional conference, dialogue-building workshops, peer reviews, Multiannual Financial Framework labs, regional peer exchanges, and drafting of recommendations for policy development and implementation under reform agendas.

Policy Framework

LORAI is anchored in the Western Balkans Growth Plan and aligns with Regulation (EU) 2024/1449, which emphasises inclusive reform implementation and meaningful local government participation.
The programme is based on the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, a Council of Europe treaty which lays down standards for protecting local and regional democracy in Europe.

Funding: €2,222,222 for the first two years.
Duration of the project: March 2026 – Feb 2028, with a potential extension of one additional year.

^*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.